Hey all it’s the first blog for Random. This one is related to our discussion from 2/16/11. First off, props to Erin for spending some time in prayer before going to bed. I hope all of you have a time set aside each day to spend some time with God. Take a little time to pray and read your Bible every day.
Questions from tonight:
When you pray should you pray specifically for what you want or should you just pray that God’s will be done?
In looking at several instances from scripture where people prayed you see that they prayed specifically for what they wanted God to do. Abraham prayed for Sodom
We display our faith in God by praying specifically for our need. We show Him that we put our trust in Him. We let Him know that we believe He can and will answer our prayer. Why pray it if you don’t think it will be answered? We need to be careful that we aren’t praying from a selfish heart or just trying to get rich. I’m not saying that God will make you rich if you just ask. He might, but He might not. I believe that God wants to bless us just like a father would want to give good gifts to his children (Mt 7:11). God may want to bless you, but you just haven’t asked for the right thing. You don’t have it because you haven’t asked (Jas 4:1-3).Finally I think we go back to the example of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane
So the answer to the question: Do you pray specifically for what you want God to do or do you just pray for His will to be done? Is a resounding YES! We pray specifically, and have a heart that trusts God for what is best for us and says, “Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.”
Who’s fault is it for how Miley Cyrus’ life has turned out?
A student asked about a news story from this week that said Billy Ray Cyrus blames Hannah Montana for destroying his daughter’s life. You can read the story here:
There is a trend in today’s culture to blame everyone else for our problems. Everyone wants to play the victim. So who’s fault is it for the way Miley has turned out? Well mom and dad I think you need to take a look at what you did when you were the ones making the decisions. Did you put her in a good environment? Did you give her the tools to succeed? Did you instill in her morals and values? Did you teach her how to make good decisions?
There’s a fine line in parenting between over parenting and under parenting. I think we only strike that balance by the grace of God. Parenting is kind of like a handoff in football. At one point the quarterback has 100% possession of the ball and he is in control. As that handoff takes place there is a shared possession between quarterback and running back. Finally once it is complete the ball is in the hands of the running back and it’s up to him what he will do with it. That exchange is the critical moment. That is where a fumble is most likely to occur if not done properly. That’s the kind of thing that parents have to do. With babies and young children parents are totally in control of all decisions. As the child grows hopefully the parent is instilling values and morals in them and helping them to make decisions. Through adolescence there is that shared possession where the parent is guiding some decisions and the child is also making some decisions. Then the handoff takes place and you trust the child to make their own decisions. The parent has to realize when the child is no longer a child and ready to make those decisions. Unfortunately there is not an easy defining point for each of these steps. It’s easy to see when the QB only has the ball and when the RB only has the ball. But during that handoff who’s to say what percentage of possession each has. It’s a fluid motion and it’s something that is practiced over and over again to get it right. It’s a critical point in the game to be successful. Let me illustrate it a little further. Imagine the following two scenarios:
1. The ball is snapped. The QB doesn’t even take possession of it. It hits his hands and he just lets it drop to the ground. He turns and looks at the RB and just expects him to pick it up and run with it. How successful would that be on the playing field? Someone’s losing a job. That’s what it looks like when parents give in to the whims of their children and just let them do whatever they want. Don’t want to hurt their fragile little psyche (did you sense the sarcasm there?)
2. The ball is snapped. The QB turns to make the handoff. But as the RB goes to take possession of the ball the QB doesn’t let go. The two of them try to run down the filed while both of them carry the football. I think you see this doesn’t work either. This is the parent that won’t let go and tries to make every decision for their child. They never give them the tools to succeed on their own.
OK that’s enough for parenting 101. I’m ready to answer the question now. Who’s to blame? Parents? Disney? Miley? Sorry, but it’s the same answer as the first question. This one is also a resounding YES! Everyone has a part in this one, but there is a lesson to be learned here.
To parents: Do your job. This is the most important ministry God could ever entrust you with. Raise your kids being led by God. Pray for His direction. Instill in them morals and values that will give them the tools to succeed once you’ve handed them the ball. Check out Proverbs 22:6 from the New Living Translation – “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
To students: Do your job. Pursuing God’s best for your life is the highest calling you can achieve. Take responsibility for your own actions. Ezekiel 18:20 and 1 Corinthians 3:8 tell us that we are responsible for what we do. The consequences of your choices are your own and you can’t blame anyone else. Own it.
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